Leopards fixed us

By GILBERT WANDERA

KPL, KENYA: Going into the last match of the season, Kakamega Homeboyz needed to win by all means to retain their status in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) next season.

Their opponents, AFC Leopards on the other hand, were chasing second spot on the log and this being a ‘Western derby’, some expected the former would do their brothers a favour but it was not to be.

It is a situation that has left bitter feelings at Kakamega Homeboyz, with club chairman Cleophas Shimanyula insisting his side deserved to remain in top flight football.

“We are not saying Leopards should have let us win but we are wondering if it has made any difference for them. The league was already won and there was nothing at stake for finishing second.

“Our fans are really disappointed by Leopards because even the first goal was scored from an off-side position,” claimed Shimanyula.

But AFC Leopards Secretary General George Aladwa  has differed with these sentiments, insisting that his side was highly motivated to finish second following a promise by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga that they would get Sh1 million for coming second.

Big club

“We really wanted number two and at the same time also wanted Homeboyz to remain but we had to do what we had to do. Leopards is a big club and we cannot do anything that would amount to match fixing.

“Furthermore, even if they won, it would not have helped them at all. They should just go back and prepare for the 2015 league just like we did a few years ago when we were relegated,” said Aladwa.

Shimanyula has promised that the club will be back in the 2015 Kenyan Premier League  and pointed out that they have learnt from their mistakes this past season.

Poor officiating

He claimed that poor officiating was their biggest undoing and pointed out several matches as having been handled badly.

“We can point out some matches where our team was treated unfairly. These include fixtures against Mathare United, Sofapaka and Gor Mahia. This just destroyed us and had they been handled well, things would have been different for us,” he said.

Shimanyula also admitted that poor signings at the beginning of the season also cost them.

“We started on the wrong foot by not signing the right kind of players. When we made the changes in the second leg it was too little too late and we just could not catch up.

“In the entire first leg we won only one game and this is what messed us up. But we will be back in 2015. We are keen to keep most of our players and will also retain coach Edward Manoah. It will not be easy but we can do it,” he said.

Homeboyz are one of the two clubs that were promoted this season with the other club being Bandari, who finished the season in sixth position. — [email protected]